


Whiskey Shots and a Scotch Neat

by Sanru



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Bromance, Drinking, Friendship, Gen, Some Regrets, and whiskey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 08:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11123208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanru/pseuds/Sanru
Summary: Gladio doesn't have a choice when it comes down to who he is supposed to protect.  He's sworn his life to Noctis but that doesn't make it any easier to accept that he can't protect them all.





	Whiskey Shots and a Scotch Neat

**Author's Note:**

> Best way to deal with writer's block? Write something else.
> 
> Worst thing to do is working on a story when you're on shift and your boss catches you playing on your phone.
> 
> He was a bit mad for some reason...

Gladio preferred beer when he drank alcohol.  Stouts in particular.  He liked the complex, beautiful roundness of the drinks coupled with the hints of roastiness at the end.  It was more of a social beer and he was definitely a social drinker.  A pint of stout could last him all night which was perfect when he was in charge of keeping an eye on everyone else.  

However, there was a time for socializing and a time for regrets.

And regrets required whiskey.

“I'll have another,” he told the bartender as she walked past.  After a certain hour, most Crow's Nest dinners turned into a bar, offering the typical food and tipster help along with alcohol which was only served at the bar.  Thankfully the one here in Old Lestallum where they had retreated to was one of those dinners.  It was perfect for travelers and when Gladio wanted to step into a more laid back setting where _talking_ was how people tended to socialize.  Noctis, Prompto and especially Ignis spent way too much time on their phones as far as he was concerned.  How difficult was it just to talk to someone anyway?

Of course, tonight he wasn't there for socializing or gathering information or even flirting with random people.  He was there to get drunk.  Really drunk.  Drunk enough so that the hangover tomorrow would be absolute murder that he would have to soldier through anyways.  He deserved it, after everything that had happened today, he so deserved it.

The bartender obviously knew this the minute he sat down and ordered a soda with the first shot of whiskey without any additional comments on her looks, voice or even attempting small talk.  She was pretty hot, wearing tight jeans and high heels with a low cut red shirt that showed off some serious cleavage.  Her brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail while her long bangs framed her face.  Her makeup highlighted her blue eyes and the shade of lipstick on her lips matched her shirt’s color perfectly.  If he wasn't punishing himself, he probably would be playfully flirting with her.

“You don't have to go that far tonight right?” She asked him even as she reached for the bottle on the back wall and grabbed a new shot glass.  “There's a motel right across the street and they aren't that expensive.”

“I already have the room there,” he assured her as she set the new shot down next to the four empty ones he had already had.  Gladio had chosen his seat on the far side of the room from the door and just around the corner of the bar.  His back was to the wall, he could see all the other patrons, and he could see the motel across the street easily, especially the room the Ignis had checked them into shortly after they arrived in town.

“Thanks,” he said as she slid the filled to the brim shot towards him.  He snapped it back before she had even stepped away to put the bottle back on the shelf.  The liquor burned as it went down his throat and Gladio just sighed in relief.  The buzz in the back of his head seemed to get slightly louder.  

He sipped his soda as she went to check her other patrons and he scanned the room again.  Even if he was fairly blitzed at this point he was still a bodyguard and he was still on watch.  There was a group of four hunters at the other end of the bar, talking and laughing as they spent gil from a hard fought bounty in celebration for their deed.  A young couple was cozied up to each other in one of the booths, sharing an order of fries as they whispered and giggled to each other.  A couple of older gents we're sharing a beer and having an argument about fishing lures.  Outside the street was empty even though it was brightly lit.  The motel attended was reading a magazine across the way, feet up in the desk and chair tipped back for comfort.

Nothing was wrong or out of the ordinary.  The rest stop was peaceful and the locals were rather quiet for a Tuesday night.  No one seemed to be paying any mind to him or room number six which was all he cared about.  

He took another sip of his soda.  His eyes were immediately drawn to their hotel room as it opened and Ignis stepped out.  He sighed, knowing this would happen sooner or later.  The motel attendant looked up from his magazine long enough to figure out Ignis was headed for the Crow’s Nest and not him before turning back to his reading.  Gladio chose to flag down the waitress for another shot.  He really didn't need to listen to any of Ignis’ bullshit right now.

It had been all his fault after all.

Gladio set the empty shot glass down for his sixth shot of whiskey as Ignis entered the bar.  The hunters and fishermen glanced at him before ignoring him, the young couple was too wrapped up in each other to notice or care, but the bartender welcomed him with a warm smile and a small wave.  “Hiya, what'll you be having today?”

“Good evening,” Ignis said, nodding to the fishermen as he passed behind them to join Gladio.  They nodded in return, barely pausing in their argument.  “A scotch neat if you would be so kind,” Ignis told the waitress as he took the open stool to Gladio's left, just around the bend in the bar.

Gladio raised an eyebrow at that, staring at Ignis' as if he had grown a third arm as he sat in the stool next to him.  Ignis wasn’t much of a drinker to begin with so for him to be diving into the really hard shit it had to be serious.  He was such a light weight that half of the scotch alone would get him tipsy.  Worse yet, his back was facing the open windows which wasn't very safe.  If they were attacked Iggy wouldn't know what hit him.  

The bartender brought over Ignis’ scotch.  “You want another,” she asked him eyeing the stack of shot glasses in front of him.  

“Not right now.  Thanks,” with Ignis hitting the hard stuff and his back exposed as it was, Gladio had to put his own binging on hold in case something bad did happen.  He sighed and took a sip of his soda as Ignis had a sip of his scotch.  It wouldn't surprise him if Ignis had done this on purpose; get him to stop drinking by exposing himself to a possible attack and getting himself liquored up.  

Fuck Shiva sideways, Ignis could be such a pain in the ass.

He set the glass back down, scanning the room and out on the street again before looking at Ignis who was openly staring at him while cupping both hands around his glass sitting on the bar.  “How's Prompto,” he finally asked as the knowing green eyes seemed to stare right into his mind.

“As can be expected, he is exhausted but alright.  I left him and Noctis in the middle of an intense game of King's Knight to come join you.  I'll doubt either of them will be awake much longer.” Ignis took a rather large sip from his drink.

Gladio let out a small huff before raising his hand to get the bartender’s attention and pointing at his collection of shot glasses.

“I'll have one as well please,” Ignis said as she approached.  She paused and grabbed another shot glass for him.  

Gladio sighed again, “Iggy, don't try and match me drink for drink.  You'll be under the table in the next five minutes and have a hangover from hell tomorrow.”

“I have never heard you attempt to dissuade someone from drinking with you before,” he took one of the full shots and held it up to him.  “In fact, you are usually trying to get me to join you.  Cheers.”

“Cheers,” he half grumbled, clinking their shots together before they both downed them.  Gladio took a moment to savor the burn and Ignis lightly coughed into his glove.  His face was slightly flushed already.

“Well that was quite… bracing,” he said before chasing it with his scotch.  He grimaced at the taste and Gladio couldn't help but chuckle at him.  

“I could've told you that that was a bad idea.  Have you ever had whiskey before?”

“No,” Ignis admitted talking a smaller sip of his scotch this time around.  “I didn't think it was your drink of choice either.  Don't you usually drink oatmeal stouts?”

“Usually I go for dry stouts but I don't mind switching them up and trying different kinds every now and then,” Gladio took another sip of his soda and Ignis matched him with a rather heavy draught of scotch.  Ignis was going to be feeling it if he kept going at that rate.  Gladio flagged down the bartender and put in an order for a plate of fries.  They had sandwiches from the store for dinner but that was a couple hours ago.  Ignis was essentially drinking some really hard shit on an empty stomach.

“So why are you drinking whiskey shots then?”

It took him a moment to respond.  Ignis choose to take another sip of scotch while he waited.  Gladio hoped that the fries showed up soon.  “My dad use to say ‘whiskey was for regrets’ and I always knew it had been a bad day when he’d come home and have a couple shots of whiskey before doing anything else.”

It was Ignis turn to be quiet for a moment.  “And you regret not being there for Prompto earlier today?”

That was putting it mildly.

It had been a fairly straightforward hunt.  Go, find the giant snake near the waterfall and kill it.  They should have been in, out and back in Lestallum to collect the bounty before supper.  Nice and quick.

Of course, that was just too easy and Fate decided to throw them a curveball because it was a bitch to them.  The drop ship that swung over the battlefield had dropped three Magitek assassins.  The snake chose that moment to snap its tail around like a whip, hitting and knocking Prompto, Noctis and one of the assassins to the other side of the clearing.  The Magitek had slammed into a rock, snapping it in half while both Prom and Noct rolled across the grass nearby.  The other two assassins lunged for the boys before they could even get to their feet.

Gladio didn't even hesitate to act.  It was his sworn duty to protect Noctis.  He was the Prince’s Shield after all…

But it didn't mean he had to like it.

Prompto's pain filled cry was still echoing in the back of his mind.

“Gladio, there was nothing you could do.” And here it was.  Iggy’s unwanted insight that was what he was thinking to himself anyway but wasn’t helping.  “Your duty is to Noctis.  Not Prompto or myself.  It is your job to defend Noct, we'll get by on our own.”

“I know.  I know but it just doesn't mak-”

“If anyone is to be having regrets about today, it should be me.”

Gladio sighed.  Ignis had been on the far side of the serpent.  There was no way he could have been over there any faster than he had been.  He had sprinted over to them, looping out the long way from the snake, distracting it with a blizzard spell as he went.  Gladio had dispatched the one who had been after Noct while he went after the one who had nearly disemboweled Prompto.  Ignis had gone right to the kid’s side, Noctis and Gladio providing cover for him as Ignis used about half their curatives to heal up Prompto's side.

“Iggy there wasn't-”

“There was plenty I could have done Gladio,” Ignis cut him off quickly.  The bartender paused at the venom in his voice before she put the plate of fries down between them.  “Another whiskey shot when you have a moment please,” Ignis said to her before she could withdraw and turned back to Gladio.  

“I am the tactician in this group and I didn't even consider a drop ship coming through the area.  I had assumed that due to the mountainous area we were in and the lack of clear space not over the river that we would not have to worry about dealing with them.  That was my first mistake.”

He took his shot but stopped the bartender from withdrawing, “Another if you would be so kind.  Thank you dear.  Secondly, how often do I get after you lot for not sticking together?  It was irresponsible of me to move off so far on my own.  Divide and conquer is heavily utilized by both man and beast alike.  We can ill afford to get separated either traveling or in combat.”  He took his next shot, nodding to the bottle the bartender was still holding as she stood by amused at the proceeding.  She poured him another shot.

“Thirdly, if you are to protect Noctis with your life, it only makes sense that I make the same pledge with Prompto granted that nothing has happened to you.  The Astrals forbid that you actually fall, Noctis will be my primary concern but until then, I should be more than capable to keep Prompto and myself out of trouble.” He took his shot, wobbling heavily on his seat and gesturing for another shot only for Galdio to stop the bartender with a wave of his hand.  

“Nope, he's done,” Gladio plucked the used shot glass out of Ignis’ hand and received a watery glare in return.  

“I'm not finished-” he tried but Gladio stopped him from grabbing one of the empty shot glasses sitting in front of him.

“Yeah you are.  You probably have another eight reasons why it's your fault and that’ll give you alcohol poisoning if you keep going the way you are.”. He shoved all the shot glasses well out of Ignis' reach.  “I get it.  It's more your fault than mine so I should pull my head out of my own ass and stop pouting.  Here have a fry,” he held up one of the fries from the still warm plate.

Ignis blinked at the fry in front of his face for a second before taking it from Gladio and eating it.  “I only have another two reasons,” he said moodily reaching for another fry.  

“And you only need to list three reasons when dealing with me Iggy.  You know that,” Gladio soothed as he tried to figure out a way of swiping the rest of Ignis’ scotch out of his hand without him noticing.  Ignis seemed to pick up on what he was thinking and he made a point of pulling the glass further away from Gladio.  His grip noticeably tightened on it as he frowned at him, practically daring him to try and take it from him.  “I'm not like some senator or some district manager that needs eight reason why with historical references and a full scientific survey as proof.  I get it.  Even if I don't like it.  I get it.”

Ignis sipped some of his scotch, regarding him over the rim of his glass for a moment in silence.  “Gladio,” he said with conviction despite his flush face and slightly unfocused eyes.  “You’re just one man.  You can't protect all of us.”

His hands tightened into fists.  “I should be ab-”

A hand landed heavily on his arm.  Ignis squeezed it for emphasis, “You are a Shield and a Shield can only protect the person whose arm it is strapped to.  You are 'strapped’ if you will to Noct.  Not Prompto.  Not me.  Noctis.”

“And if one of you get hurt what then?  Do you want me to just shove aside my worry for you guys?”  He asked with a little more heat in his words than he meant to.

“Of course not.  We're all friends and worrying about your friends is what sets you apart from being an inanimate object that is strapped to an arm and used as defense in combat.  Worry about us Gladio but keep in mind that our wellbeing is not your primary concern.”

“I just…” Gladio sighed, looking away from Ignis and watching his reflection in the shiny chrome on the chest freezer nearby.  Ignis had sat up and his drink was momentarily unsupervised.  His hand darted up and grabbed the glass sneaking it back down over the edge of the bar while Ignis was busy picking at the fries.  “I just wish there was something more that I could have done.”

Ignis was looking around for his drink, even going so far as to peer under the bar.  Gladio used that distraction to quickly gulp down the remainder of the scotch and hid the empty glass behind his small mound of shot glasses from earlier.  The small shots really didn't hide the old fashioned glass but Ignis was so blitzed Gladio doubted he would notice.  He followed it with a large gulp of his soda trying to hide the grimace on his face.  He really didn't like scotch.

“Where’s my drink?” Ignis was giving him a narrow eyed but wobbly glare.  Gladio made a note of getting his glasses off him soon.  They had slipped down dangerously close to sliding off his face altogether.

“Don't know, that's why it’s called ‘your drink’,” he said innocently as he grabbed some fries for himself.

Ignis hummed to himself in thought as he looked around the bar in vain for his drink before sighing and flagging down the bartender.  She had been staying at the far end if the bar near the other patrons, realizing that the conversation had been private from what she had overheard after delivering their fries and giving Ignis his series of shots.  “A rum and coke please,” Ignis said when she got close enough for him not to raise his voice.

“Heavy on the coke,” Gladio added.  He rolled his eyes at the look Ignis gave him.  “We're going to be in a car most of the day tomorrow and you don't want to be hung over stuck in a vehicle all day.  Trust me.”

“Very well,” Ignis took his glasses off and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.  He set them down to rub his eyes with both hands and Gladio took the moment to snatch his glasses.  It was a good thing considering Ignis seemed to have forgotten about them and would have put his elbow right on the bridge of them as he went back to attacking the fries while he waited for his drink.

Gladio carefully folded the glasses and tucked them into the inner pocket of his vest for safe keeping.  He fiddled with his glass watching as the bartender brought over Ignis’ drink.  “Rum and coke,” she gave Gladio a reassuring wink.  “ _Very_ heavy on the coke.”

Gladio smiled and tipped his head to her, holding up his half full glass in a mock salute as thanks.

Ignis didn't notice taking a sip before going back after the fries.  The drunken munchies had hit full force. “You know,” he said after a moment of staring at the fries like they held the key to defeating Neiflhiem.  “There is something you could do for Prompto.”

Now the question was how much sense was this about to make.  Last time he had seen Ignis drink in excess was when he had taken him out to the bar to celebrate turning the legal age.  The other man had a hard time realizing that the door to the bathroom at the bar was a push and not a pull.  Gladio had to explain to him why there was no handle or latch on the door without laughing his ass off.  He waited until Ignis had gone inside before he had done just that.  

“And that would be?” He asked after a moment of silence as Ignis pushing around a couple fries with the one he was holding.  

“Train him.”

“Train him in what?”

If Ignis still had his glasses on, Gladio knew that the look he received would have gone over the top of the frames.  “How to properly wipe his arse, of course,” the face Ingis made was so worth the sarcasm.  Gladio wished he had his phone ready so he could have gotten that as blackmail.  “Combat training.  Train him to fight like you have always done with Noctis and the occasionally ‘refresher’ course you insist on give me from time to time.  I don't believe he received much out of his two week stint before we ended up leaving the city.”

That was putting it mildly.  Gladio and Ignis had been to busy running around trying to get everything ready and affairs in order leading up to what was supposed to be a simple trip to Altissa.  There had been less than a month between the announcement that Noctis was to marry Lady Lunafreya as a stipulation in the treaty and their departure date to reach Altissa on time for the wedding.  

Prompto had been rushed through a two week boot camp by order of the King so that Noctis’ Best Man would be able to leave the city and have some idea of how to defend himself and the Prince if hell broke loose.  Most of what he had been taught had been how to point a gun and pull the trigger, aiming for openings or any weak spots he may see.  Of course, everything had gone to shit since then and Prompto had basically been learning the in’s and out’s of combat on the fly.  It was a wonder Gladio hadn’t decided to give him something a bit more formal earlier in their travels and it was just now that Prompto had been seriously injured.

Gladio made a noise in the back of his throat as he thought about it for a moment.  “I don't know much about guns,” he finally admitted.  “But I can at least teach him how to dodge a hit without rolling across the ground like a wounded animal.”

Ignis hummed in agreement and Gladio couldn't help but snort in amusement.  Ignis was leaving rather heavily on one hand where it was propping his head up on the bar.  His eyes were at half-mast and Gladio was fairly certain he was going to fall asleep at about the same time he fell off his stool.  “Alright, I think we're done for the night,” he waved the bartender down and asked for the check.

“It is a bit late and we do have an early start tomorrow,” Ignis agreed, tipping the rest of his drink back as Gladio settled their bill, leaving the girl a hefty tip for putting up with them.

“Do you need help?” Gladio asked as he stood.  He was a little tipsy himself.  The world was angled slightly to the right and there was a warm, giddy feeling in his mind.  He was glad he was wearing an open vest.  If he was wearing a shirt he would likely be overhearing by now.  At least he wasn’t feeling it half as bad as Ignis.

“I believe I will be alright,” Ignis looked about three sheets to the wind.  He face was flush and his eyes were only half aware and very unfocused.  He took off his gloves and carefully put them in his coat pocket before undoing the top couple buttons of his dress shirt.  “As long as you have my glasses?” he said hopefully as he looked around the bar as if just realizing he had sat them down before.

“Got them right here,” Gladio reassured him, patting his vest where the inner pocket was.  “Come on.  Let's go to bed.”

Gladio kept an arm around Ignis’ waist as he led the wobbly advisor back to their hotel room just in case he forgot how to walk.  He really didn’t have too but Gladio tended to be more of a tactile drunk and Ignis was too drunk to really care about his personal space.  Besides helping Ignis meant that Ignis was close enough to help him when he stumbled going up the three steps on the wrap around porch in front of their door.

They managed to get inside and into the open bed without waking either Prompto or Noctis who had fallen asleep who knew when.  Noctis was sitting up slightly against the pillows, curled protectively over Prompto who was curled in a rather small ball against him.  Of course, Noctis drooling heavily on his own shoulder wasn’t that intimidating to anyone.  Gladio was glad that Noct could sleep through just about anything as Ignis took it on himself to shift the Prince down into a more comfortable position with a rather heavy hand, toeing the boarder to outright manhandling. 

With everyone in their respective places, Gladio turned off the light and rested back against the pillow with an arm folded behind his head.  He wasn’t that tired, still a little keyed up about the near disastrous fight.  He wanted to take time to analysis the combat with a more analytical mind while it was still fresh in his mind and he wasn’t berating himself for not being able to protect everyone.

The shuffle in the bedding was his only warning before Ignis slid up next to him and through an arm over his chest, squeezing him lightly around the ribs.  “I didn’t say anything about a teddy bear,” he responded quietly even as he moved the arm from under his head to wrap around Ignis’ shoulders.  Mentioning teddy bears to Ignis had turned into their code that Gladio really just needed a hug when the going got to rough for him to take without a reminder that he wasn’t alone.

“You didn’t have to this time,” Ignis murmured more asleep than awake.  The sigh right after and the body relaxing against him told Gladio that Ignis was out.

He rubbed a hand over Ignis’ shoulders and glanced over at the other bed.  Tomorrow, he would start working with Prompto and he’d dragged Noct along.  Kid could use some work on his blocks.  That would also give Ignis most of the morning to compose himself again because a whiskey hangover always made you regret drinking it.

And boy was Iggy going to regret mixing whiskey and scotch.


End file.
